Insider Selling: Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Director Sells 200,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares at an average price of $49.61 for about $9.92 million, reducing his stake by roughly 57.96% to 145,069 shares valued near $7.2 million.
• Verizon raised its quarterly dividend to $0.7075 (annualized $2.83) for a yield of about 5.8%, with an ex-dividend date of April 10 and payment on May 1.
• The company beat Q4 estimates with $1.09 EPS (vs. $1.06 expected) and set FY2026 guidance of 4.90–4.95 EPS, while analysts maintain a roughly "Moderate Buy" consensus and a ~$49 price target.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of Verizon Communications stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total value of $9,922,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 145,069 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Verizon Communications Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of VZ opened at $48.90 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $43.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $42.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91. Verizon Communications Inc. has a 1 year low of $38.39 and a 1 year high of $50.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $206.24 billion, a PE ratio of 12.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.33.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The company had revenue of $36.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.20 billion. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Analysts forecast that Verizon Communications Inc. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. This is a boost from Verizon Communications's previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Verizon Communications's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.15%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its stake in Verizon Communications by 490.0% during the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 649 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carrier's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays initiated coverage on Verizon Communications in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, William Blair upgraded Verizon Communications to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $49.02.

Verizon Communications News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Verizon closed its Frontier asset acquisition and rolled out a transformation plan targeting several billion dollars in annual cost savings while integrating industry‑wide APIs via Aduna—moves that should expand fiber scale and improve margins. Verizon Reshapes Fiber, Costs And Enterprise Services With Frontier And Aduna
• Positive Sentiment: Aduna reached a milestone securing CAMARA‑compliant U.S. network API coverage with backing from AT&T, T‑Mobile and Verizon, strengthening Verizon’s ability to sell standardized network intelligence to large enterprises. Aduna Reaches Milestone as a Leading Provider of U.S. Network APIs
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets continue to highlight Verizon as a value/momentum/dividend name given recent performance, steady cash flow and yield — supporting investor interest from income and value buyers. Here's Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Value Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Industry reports highlight a growing 5G smart‑stadium and venue market where Verizon is listed among key players — reinforcing long‑term demand for Verizon’s 5G and edge services. Fifth Generation (5G)-Powered Smart Stadiums Analysis Report 2026-2035
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Dan Schulman will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference on March 2; the webcast could prompt volatility or new guidance commentary but is not expected to change fundamentals by itself. Verizon to speak at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 2
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes show modest analyst target‑price tweaks (around $49–$50), reflecting slight recalibration rather than a consensus re‑rating. How The Verizon Communications (VZ) Investment Narrative Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Price Targets
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~34.8% in mid‑February to ~148.3M shares (~3.5% of float), increasing potential selling pressure and amplifying downside risk if momentum or headlines flip negative. (Short‑interest data reported 2/25/2026)

Verizon Communications Company Profile

Verizon Communications Inc NYSE: VZ is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company's consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

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